Massage device



Sept. 3, 1940. s, DUNLAP 2,213,356

MASSAGE DEVICE Fil ed larch 1, 1939 INVENTOR. Jamue /,Z70w'o Jz////a o BY ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 3, 1940 UNETED S'EATES Z,2l3,35t

FATE

orrics 2 Claims.

This invention relates to massage devices and the object of the invention is to provide a device made of rubber or of a similar moldable substitute in the form of an ellipsoid with truncated ends and having ribs and hollows on the periphery which act as fingers and vibrators in massaging the body as the massage device is rolled over the flesh.

Another object of the invention is to provide a massage device comprising a member made of rubber or a similar substitute of high porosity and having an insert of a rubber of low porosity so that the device will compress to a greater extent on the exterior than at the center when pressure is applied to the exterior thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a massage device for massaging the bottoms of the users feet by placing the device on the floor and resting the weight of one foot on the device and rolling the device back and forth on the floor underneath the foot while weight is rested thereon.

These objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and the preferred form of construction by which these objects are attained is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. i is an elevation of the device broken away at one end to show the core of low porosity.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device taken from the left end of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the device mounted in a handle for body massage.

The device comprises an ellipsoid i having truncated ends 2 and 3. The ellipsoid is formed with longitudinal ribs or fingers 4 arranged radially about the center and having hollows 5 between the ribs or fingers 4 as will be more readily understood from Fig. 2. At the center, a double conical insert 6 is embedded within the device and this insert 5 is formed of rubber of greater density than the portion l which is of less density. This conical insert 5 is molded into the member 5 and the edge of this insert is shown at l in Figs. 1 and 2. The device in this form is ready for use in massaging the soles of feet by placing the device on the floor and resting the foot on the top of the device and rolling the device beneath the foot. When so used, greater or less weight may be placed on the foot as desired by the user and by means of the insert 6 of dense rubber the device will not compress as readily at the center as at the exterior which is formed of porous rubber. In the position ber I8 therein as shown in Fig. 3.

shown in Fig. 1, the right foot may be placed on the top of the device with the arch of the foot coming over the center. At this time, by pressing downwardly with the foot, the device will be compressed toward the center while the insert 6 of denser rubber will resist compression and will thus support the arch of the foot. At this time, by rolling the device back and forth on the fioor beneath the foot while the weight is on the foot, the fingers t will act as vibrators and massage the arch and will tend to flex the bones of the foot so that the device may be used as a foot exerciser. The fingers A are rounded as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to prevent pinching and to create a vibrating eifect as the device is rolled beneath the foot.

Also, by rolling the foot to bring the weight onto one side or the other, different effects may be obtained in exercising the foot. The device may also be used for massaging other parts of the body such as a broken hand when healing by placing the device on a flat surface, such as a tabla-and rolling the device under the hand while weight is placed thereon and numerous other uses of the device will occur to the user.

The device may also be used for body massage by providing recesses 8 in the opposite ends of the device and. fitting pins 9 of a handle mem- When thus mounted, the device may be utilized to roll over any part of the body by grasping the handle l0 and applying pressure in rolling the device over the body so that the fingers 4 will massage the flesh. In the form shown in Fig. 3, the device may be made of one molded piece of rubber of even porosity or density throughout or the form shown in Fig. 1 may also be used in the body massage device shown in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing description it becomes evident that the device is very simple and eificient in operation, will not easily get out of order, may be used on any fiat surface, is compact, and provides a device which accomplishes the objects described.

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A massage device comprising a core of low porosity rubber molded as a unit with an exterior portion of high porosity rubber, the exterior portion being in the shape of an ellipsoid with raised longitudinal fingers extending from end to end of the ellipsoid, the ends of the ellipsoid being truncated and the raised fingers being less in height and narrower in width at each end than at the center, whereby the fingers spread and the core prevents collapse of the device when weight is applied thereto in rolling it over a surface.

2. A massage device comprising an ellipsoid formed of sponge rubber having a flexible core of higher density or lower porosity than the exterior embeddedin the ellipsoid, a series of Iongitudinal fingers formed on the sponge rubber portion, said fingers being readily compressible and being wider at the center than at the ends and the fingers following the curvature of the ellipsoid from end to end, whereby the fingers spread and the core prevents collapse of the device when weight is applied thereto in rolling it over a surface.

SAMUEL DAVID DUNLAP. 

